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Athena had always imagined a different life with Luke. In her mind, they’d lived in a small apartment, somewhere quiet and tucked away from the noise of the city. The walls would be decorated with pictures of places they’d traveled, books they’d read, and memories they’d made. They’d make their mornings together, sipping coffee on the couch in silence before heading out into the world. She had imagined it so vividly that, sometimes, it almost felt like it had already happened.
But reality had a way of slipping through her fingers. Luke had never been one for staying in one place, and Athena had always been someone who craved stability. Their paths had crossed at the wrong time, it seemed, both of them too caught up in their own dreams to notice that they weren’t heading in the same direction. They had been good together, in those brief moments when they were, but somewhere along the way, their connection had faded, and with it, the future she had imagined.
Now, as she stood in the small apartment she had rented alone, the weight of it all settled in. She gazed out the window at the city lights below, feeling the emptiness of a life that never fully took shape. The apartment, the life, the love—they were all things she would never have, not with Luke. And maybe, deep down, she realized that was for the best.
She had always held onto the dream, the story of them. “The story we won’t tell,” she whispered to herself, “is my greatest fantasy.” A story of what could have been, if only they had been different people, or if life had aligned just right. But that story would never be told. It was a fantasy, a fleeting dream, and nothing more.
Athena’s thoughts drifted to the words she had heard from a friend once:
The person you love might not be the one you need.
It had always stuck with her, especially now. She had loved Luke deeply, but now that he’s gone, she realized he wasn’t the person she needed to build a life with. Maybe it was better this way.
“The mother I won’t be is probably for the best,” she murmured softly. Athena had imagined having children one day—running through the halls of the apartment, baking cookies with little feet running around—but she realized that the version of motherhood she had dreamed of wouldn’t come from Luke. Their life, their future, would never happen. And that’s okay.
Sometimes, the things we want the most are not the things we’re meant to have.
She shook herself out of the reverie and glanced at her phone. There it was: a new message. Luke. It had been months since they last spoke. His words were simple, just checking in, a polite message of how he was doing, how he was "finally figuring things out." But what caught her eye was the last line:
"I met someone, Athena. I think you’d like her."
The words stung, but she didn’t let them show. She couldn’t be angry anymore. It wasn’t about resentment or jealousy, though there were remnants of both. It was about acceptance. She smiled softly, reading between the lines.
“I know she’s beautiful and sweet,” Athena whispered to herself, “not what I wanted, but what we need.” She didn’t need Luke. And he didn’t need her. The person he needed was someone else. And maybe, just maybe, that was the way it was supposed to be. They weren’t each other’s future, but they had been something for a time, and that was enough.
Athena stood up and walked to the window, looking out at the city again. It was a strange kind of peace that settled in her chest. She could feel herself growing—learning to let go of the past and accept what was. The apartment, the future she’d imagined with Luke, had never come to pass. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t create something else, something new.
She took a deep breath, closing her eyes as she imagined the life she was still going to build. A life that was hers, and hers alone. It wasn’t the life she’d thought she wanted, but it was the one she needed.
And maybe, just maybe, that would be enough.